Original Year	1994
# of pieces	210
Categories	Other: Universal Sets
Dimensions	various
Models	Saw Thing Swing Thing Dragon Helicopter Tow Truck Jeep

8032 Universal Building Set

Set 8032, released in 1994, was one of the last two Universal Sets. It includes full instructions for 6 models, a couple of which are quite unusual and contain "figures" which perform various actions.

Although this is a small set, the models are quite interesting and attractive. Several make use of the new small balloon tires.

I find the Jeep the most interesting, and it is the model I chose to keep assembled for my display of this set.

1^st Model: Saw Thing
This model appears to be a man sawing a piece of wood. It is certainly a unique topic. The man is hinged at the waist and his motion is driven at the right arm by the use of an eccentric hole on a 24 tooth gear. A crank used as input serves both to move the man and to oscillate a "saw" which uses a rack gear as a blade. The use of a 24 tooth crown gear as a head gives this man a rather unpleasant looking haircut.	Click to download the LDraw file of this model. Model by KWON Click for an animation of the saw in motion.
2^nd Model: Swing Thing
Here's another model which includes a figure. This one appears to be a gymnast swinging on the parallel bars. A crank on the structure drives rotation of the bar. The man's arms are locked to the bar with liftarms. The man has a pivot at the shoulders and at the waist. This results in a fairly realistic looking (and painful looking) motion. Note that the stop-motion animation is not particularly accurate since much of this motion occurs "dynamically" and cannot be paused to take pictures.	Click for an animation of the swing in motion.
3^rd Model: Dragon
It's hard to say what this little vehicle is, but I imagine it to be a dragon, perhaps used as a float in a parade. A 24 tooth gear is attached to the right rear wheel. An eccentric pin in this wheel causes a link to reciprocate. This drives an arm connected to the head which makes it oscillate side to side as the vehicle moves. No if only fire erupted from the mouth.....	Click for an animation of the dragon in motion.
4^th Model: Helicopter
This little helicopter seems almost obligatory since most universal sets include helicopter models. It does nothing unique. The only unusual characteristic is the very large gear ratio between the crank and the main rotor which results in a rapidly rotating main rotor. A crank drives both the main and tail rotors through a set of crown and pinion gears.	Click for an animation of the rotors in motion.
5^th Model: Tow Truck
I like this compact little tow truck very much. It shows how much can be done with only a few pieces. It both looks and operated fairly accurately. The front wheels can be steered using an overhead "hand of god" wheel. The wheel drives a set of 24 tooth gears. The second axle drives a pinion. The pinion drives the steering rack. The steering mechanism itself uses control arms and toothed links. The rear vehicle lift uses a worm gear to drive a 24 tooth crown. This results in a 24:1 gear reduction, and a lot of animation frames!	Click for an animation of the steering in motion. Click for an animation of the lift in motion.
6^th Model: Jeep
Despite the small size, I think this one of the best looking of the "Jeep" 4x4 off road vehicles. I like the use of non-perpendicular angles with the pinned Technic bricks. The steering is controlled by a steering wheel in the driver's position. The wheel drives a 24 tooth pinion. The pinion drives the steering rack. The steering mechanism itself uses control arms and toothed links. The headlights can be concealed (unlike a real Jeep) by moving a lever on the right side of the hood. The angle of the windshield can also be adjusted. Finally, the rear wheel drive a rear Power Take Off (PTO) for some reason.	Click for an animation of the steering in motion. Click for an animation of the lights in motion.

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